We were lucky to catch up with Jamie Richards recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jamie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

Although we aren’t making any money from Only Slightly Opinionated Podcast, the journey itself has been especially rewarding. When we began this endeavor, we had no preconceived notions that our little podcast would become a hit. We went into this just hoping we would find a loyal listening base. Our followers have continued to grow as we have fine-tuned our format and we are thrilled that anyone is listening at all. We have contemplated spending money in an effort to amplify our presence but hold steadfast in our pledge to grow the podcast organically. Because we live very far apart, our mission was to set aside some time every couple of weeks to make each other laugh, catch up, and talk about what we’ve been watching. If we look at in that light, we feel extremely successful. Broke…but successful.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

We are Jamie Richards and Joey Johnson. We have been friends since the early 90’s and basically grew up together in the Metro Detroit area. We were both involved in local theatre and spent many years singing and performing in various productions. Joey moved to South Carolina in 2003 but our friendship proved indestructible despite the distance. A couple of years ago, during Joey’s visit to Michigan, the original concept of Only Slightly Opinionated Podcast was born. As film, TV, and theatre lovers, we figured it would be a great way to share what we are watching and share our opinions with the “masses”. Above all else, we make each other laugh and we just thought maybe…just maybe…other people would want to join in on the fun.
We are also very proud of our opening theme song. It really sets the tone for what our listeners are in for. We hope the Recording Academy is taking notes ahead of Grammy season.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

When you launch a podcast, there is a small part of you that entertains the delusion that you might strike internet gold and become an overnight sensation. This is quickly squashed when you realize your show is just a very small drop in an endless ocean of other creatives hoping to make it big on the “interwebs”. There were times when we wondered why we were even bothering. We changed our format. We tried different graphics. Ultimately, we came back to the original foundation. It was about us. We didn’t want to try and be something else. We just wanted to continue enjoying ourselves without the stress of worrying whether or not we were successful. We figured people would like us as we are or they likely wouldn’t like us at all and that took much of the weight off of our shoulders. We think we are hilarious so we aren’t sure why we don’t have millions of followers already. Some would call it delusional and we would likely agree but we’re having fun so we haven’t noticed. Ignorance really is bliss.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

We think podcasts, in general, are a veritable wealth of entertainment. Both of us subscribe to many different podcasts of varying styles and points of view. However, as we continue to promote our show, we are realizing that many people are unfamiliar with podcasts. It is baffling how many people don’t even know where to access podcasts. This can be a hindrance in growing your audience. You have to balance the line between developing followers and teaching people how to access your show. We would absolutely plead with people to check out more podcasts. There are millions of people out there creating highly engaging content that is going unheard. Many people have access to podcasts through various subscriptions without actually being aware. We would encourage you to dip your toes in the water and find that podcast that feels like “family”. There is definitely a podcast out there for everyone.
If you are into listening to a couple of gay best friends in their 50’s wax poetic about the latest Netflix series whilst throwing jabs at each other, we are here to welcome you with open arms, lazy production, and belly laughs. We promise you’ll have a good time. Only Slightly Opinionated Podcast – It really is “The Best Worst Podcast Ever”!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onlyslightlyopinionated?igsh=MTFuNGxsbGd6M2N1bQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1GxNR4n51z/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZzF4_fVNe3N_WW_6CIJDdc53ahXkkcX3&si=q4tozwshX9TwhjKR
• Other: Available wherever brilliant and undiscovered podcasts reside.